Tripping Over Tails
by Lycodrake
Summary: Pranking was a skill and hobby he took pride in. Maybe getting a summoning contract that weaponized it was a bit much, because now everyone is in for a wild trip. And they thought their problem with him was nine-tailed. -Working Summary and Rating; Pairing Undecided-
1. Round About

Chapter One: Round About

xxxxxxx

If there was one thing that most sober and clear thinking people residing in Konoha said about Naruto, it wouldn't actually be that he was a failure.

It would actually be that he was an attention-seeking brat.

This was entirely spot-on: Naruto's goal in life was to be acknowledged. As an orphan with hardly any familial relationships save for an elderly man, and a kind family that operated his most favored Ramen Stall, what else could he strive for but the most vaunted and most appreciated position in the Land of Fire, his home Konoha: the title of Hokage, the most powerful ninja amongst the thousands that lived in it?

Before he could become such a vaunted figure, however, he had to graduate from being a simple trainee in the Ninja Academy into a bona-fide Genin - the very first rank of the Ninja Career Ladder, a rookie soldier for life.

He had the skills to confound ninja for a few hours after his painfully obvious pranks had been pulled, leaving harmless or embarrassing obstacles and traps for pursuers

As such, Naruto was a budding Ninja, though you would have to pry it out of most people's mouths to acknowledge such things to be a sign he was ready to be part of the warrior elite of the Elemental Nations.

However, he was nowhere near as interested in the curriculum set for the creation of such warriors, in the end he didn't even study history or chakra control, though the latter was rudimentary at best .

And therein lay the problem…

History, taught ninja what were mistakes done in the field of battle, and the meager Chakra control exercises that were hardly given thought by other students, much less Naruto, were both skills that were expected by their future teachers as they progressed through the Academy.

Added to that, only a few saw him actually practice relevant ninja-related skills, like throwing accuracy with kunai and shuriken or working tirelessly to make a proper Bunshin as other students would after school with friends. It was no wonder that his teachers were so annoyed with him - he had the drive, the potential, the Hokage and others could see it his skills in his pranks, but even the village leader admitted that the blonde needed more than silly pranks to become a ninja.

Amazing to all, one of his more daring pranks on a clan compound had positive results.

Not in a way anyone expected, though.

xxxxxxx

"Stop fidgeting like that, Naruto-kun. I know you don't like wearing formal clothes, but try to be patient," the aged Sarutobi placated, having forgone his pipe entirely for this particular meeting; he was more than a little irritated by the combination of nicotine addiction and having to take care of yet another of Naruto's pranks.

"I don't see why I have to see this clan head; it wasn't even one of my better pranks…" Naruto trailed off, giving the old man a look. He honestly expected something like this from the times when he plastered a man to a wall or or covered in neon paint. There wasn't even any raiding of underwear drawers for quick replacement flags for the Academy or even pepper grounds.

"You know, when a clan head normally hears these things, they're supposed to be entirely irate to the point of demanding a severe punishment. In my case, that would mean a few months of physical and mental labor - maybe a bit of trauma for good measure. I can promise that that would probably have been the case if you had used the pepper grounds."

Naruto yelped at this comment and decided the best course of action was to hide behind the Hokage's desk.

Sarutobi sighed, "Naruto-kun, get back in your seat; Tsume, please don't threaten the boy with mental harm."

"Eh!? B-but what about the physical side, old man?" Naruto peaked his head from his hiding place to look warily at both the woman and her near-giant wolf companion.

"You would heal, Naruto-kun, and would be a better man for it." The finality of that statement didn't comfort the blonde, but he decided to accept it, though he slunk back to his seat with great care.

"Kuromaru, give the kid a break with your glare, 'kay?" The matriarch patted the wolf-dog's head once with this request.

Turning his head to the side, the Inuzuka alpha male grumbled, "Fine, fine. Not meaning any harm in it."

Tsume nodded once, and took the seat adjacent from her Hokage and the trouble-making Uzumaki, who surprisingly wore a more muted outfit, much like her own was more formal than she liked at any time.

"Down to business, since I need to get back and make sure Hana isn't strangling Kiba with one of his own intestines.", that got a snort and snicker of laughter out of Naruto, "With Uzumaki's prank, I felt the need to return a favor I owed his mother."

Sarutobi gave her a look of his own, while he held a hand directly in front of Naruto to stop him from shouting out in surprise, "You know I was waiting on him to ask before going into details, Tsume."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." The aged leader sighed as she continued. "Mikoto, bless her heart, wanted to smother the boy - hell, Fugaku almost allowed it a few times just to get the brat under his thumb…but that's not the point." She looked straight at Naruto, unnerving him a bit, "No, I wasn't your mom's best friend or a team-mate of hers, and I don't know who your dad was either, just to be clear. To be entirely honest, we only had some missions together as chunin."

Sarutobi gestured for her to continue when she paused and looked a bit annoyed with herself after that statement, even as Naruto was crestfallen at her commentary, though he did file the names away for later.

"Long story short: one of those missions we shared included looting a few scrolls, among them a summoning contract. Your mom didn't want it and I didn't need it, but she insisted on my keeping it as a 'bond between Uzumaki and Inuzuka' or something." She pulled said scroll from her belt and held it out to the Sandaime while the blonde eagerly scanned over it.

"This is a rather interesting summoning contract, Tsume." The tone of his voice didn't betray him, but the choice in pausing like that did - he wasn't sure what to think.

The matriarch leaned back in her seat to stare at the ceiling, "Well, I didn't have a use for it, nor did anyone in my clan. Didn't test it out or anything, so I don't know much besides what's written in the scroll. Don't even know if it's a single-summon contract or 'family' or whatever - I'm not a summons' expert."

"Naruto, have a look over it right now; I think you might like what you find." He handed the boy the scroll, still unfolded.

Within a few minutes, the blonde was enraptured with it - mumbling aloud "What's an 'ashi-magari'…?" The 'old man' was glad that the scroll wasn't written archaically.

"Of course, a punishment is still called for," Kuromaru stated bluntly, "Uzumaki did wreck a few fences and windows."

In the middle of reading, but not entirely focused, Naruto flinched a bit at that. "Didn't mean to…those triplets decided to chase me into the building…"

"Focus on reading, Naruto-kun, I already had something in mind for your punishment." He got a grumble mixed with a whine at that.

Tsume grinned a little bit at that, "Oh?"

"Yes, and I think you won't mind it either…"

xxxxxxx

Within the day, an agreement was made for Naruto's punishment - at the minimum three and a half weeks of chores at the Inuzuka compound. While he didn't like it all that much, he did promise to take it seriously and do his best, and, much to his dismay, to not dye any of the hounds any neon colors ever again

The reactions of the clan were… mixed.

Kiba was only annoyed for the first day - without any sort of scolding involved in his warming to Naruto's presence either. Naruto, despite his social skills being worse than most, was among those the Inuzuka boy counted as a friend, though this might be due to Kiba's own brashness and unwillingness to bend to the general populace's view on others.

Though it didn't help much, in Naruto's opinion, the "old man" had gotten Hana, Kiba's sister and rising veterinary specialist, to tutor him and fill any gaps in his Shinobi education as he worked at the compound, and therefore, away from the Academy. This was mainly due to Hana's own canine companions, the Ash Siblings, delighted in chasing him throughout the compound as he attempted to do whatever chore he was supposed to before full-bodily tackling him and making it impossible to do any sort of work.

As a tutor, Hana was probably the most patient teacher Naruto had had - she went through the things he found painfully boring and reasoned him through the details bit by bit. Chakra control, on the other hand, was a bit of a problem - technically he wasn't supposed to learn past Academy level - but with sound reasoning and a waiver, she had gotten him up to tree-walking. Not that he got it down immediately, though, several instances he found himself battered and bruised more than any spar had ever produced, as gravity proved to be an unyielding constant that even he couldn't overcome.

His Academy instructors, Iruka especially, appreciated that he had gotten a tutor. More of a surprise to Naruto than anyone else, Sasuke didn't react negatively to it or demand a tutor of his own - nor did any of his stauncher supporters or other classmates. The young Uzumaki honestly expected a fight or argument to break out over it, especially with the vaunted Uchiha being raised to become the head of his clan.

When he voiced this concern between breaks, it was even more of a surprise to him learn that Sasuke already had such a tutor and that the two of them were set for a 'summoning class', to teach them further about their summons.

xxxxxxx

"…I've had a tutor for the last year or two, Naruto. And before you go shouting about how unfair it is…" Here Naruto looked away in a mixture of shame and embarrassment, "I didn't ask for one. The Hokage wanted to be sure I was 'fully fit to be a shinobi' or something, not going into details."

"Huh…sorry, Sasuke-teme, guess I shouldn't have…assumed like that." He snickered a bit to the side, "Heh, I think that's the most you've said to anyone in a month."

"Hn. The only people I really talk in length to are the Hokage, my tutor, and a few of our classmates to see what's going on with their clans - Hinata aside." Neither boy knew what was, or wasn't, wrong with the Hyuuga heiress that caused her to be so shy.

"Fair enough," the blonde shrugged, "Oh!" Something clicked back into place, "Um…Sasuke…did you know anyone named Mikoto?"

The look the Uchiha gave him was more unnerving than most glares he'd gotten, but it faded quickly, "…the only Uchiha I knew with that name was my mother, Naruto."

"Oh…" The atmosphere suddenly had gotten much more depressing.

"Why do you ask?"

"Kiba's mom, Tsume, mentioned that a 'Mikoto' knew my mom, when the old man and I met with her for my punishment…said the scroll was loot from a mission she shared with my mom, and then mentioned your mom's name - maybe your dad's too. I can't quite remember, just that your mom knew my mom really well."

The dark-haired boy sitting next to him tilted his head a bit and leaned back in his seat, "I don't really remember my mother, or father, mentioning an Uzumaki. Sorry, Naruto…" The snuck a glance over at the blonde, "It might have that she didn't want to always think of the grief."

"Thanks for the info, teme."

"If you start trading childhood woes, I'm going to start bashing heads, Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun," a voice behind them lilted, a hint of threat and amusement imminent.

"Damn, I didn't even sense you, Anko," grumbled Sasuke.

"…please tell me you aren't here to feed me to a snake or chase me while throwing senbon or rob me of whatever innocence I may or may not have, Anko. Please." Naruto's response was much more wordy and terrified.

"Aw, see, Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun likes me," she grinned.

"…she's your tutor, isn't she, Sasuke-teme?"

"Yes, Naruto, Anko is my tutor." He gave away nothing; sometimes being stoic helped.

"And psych-profilist!" said the arguably insane young woman.

Naruto turned to Sasuke with a look, "…she's bullshitting about that part, right?"

"Despite appearances, I am a highly qualified and trained member of Konoha's psycho-analysis department, Naruto-kun. Second only to torture and interrogation…and dango, it's my favorite thing to do!"

"…my respect for you just skyrocketed, Sasuke."

That being said, their apparent instructor hopped in front of them with a twist, and landed lightly on the instructor's desk, seated. "Yes, yes, I know I'm amazing and sexy, but that's not why I'm here. I'm here to teach you both the basics of summoning and summoning contracts."

"Now, why am I the one instructing you on this and not one of the other summons' users in the village? The answer is rather simple: the others are on a mission or too lazy." The two boys groaned.

Smiling widely, with far less mal-intent than usual, she continued. "First things first - I'm not an expert on this subject. In fact, my own summoning contract is limited. But that aside, you both also are entirely new to summoning - which means it's a whole lot simpler for all three of us: I don't have to bore you with the intricacies." They both nodded.

A few minutes later, the two got a 'bite-sized' run-down of all relevant details for summons and summoning, with enough detail that Sasuke was satisfied and things didn't go over Naruto's head - then came the actual summoning part.

xxxxxxx

"Alright you two, I already know which summoning contracts you have: Sasuke for hawks and Naruto for…well whatever 'ashi-magari' are, and that both are assured to work." They nodded.

"I already said it, but I'll say it again: summons like to give new summoners a hard time, both in word and action, and generally like to give a test. So that means: be prepared and try to stay calm and respectful - even if it's not the boss."

With a nod to start, they both bit their thumbs to get the necessary blood, and slammed their hand onto the ground in front of them with a short shout of "Kuchiyose no jutsu!" The expected ink patterns stretched out like spider web under their hands, before the dual 'pop' sounded.

The plume of smoke from Naruto's summon was noticeably larger than Sasuke's, but with the unknown of what he was going to summon and how much chakra he had used to summon it, it was a non-issue.

All three sets of eyes, knowing that there would be a hawk or bird of prey from Sasuke's summon, focused on what was within the other cloud of smoke.

The first thing extremely noticeable, even as the motes of smoke dissipated, was that the summon had a long, fuzzy, flexible tail. After the rest of the body became visible, Naruto tilted his head to one side and then the other, "…why is it wearing a traffic sign on a leg?"

Sasuke's replied before Anko could, as she was day-dreaming of sic-ing the long-tailed mammal on enemy snakes, "That I don't know, but…is your summon a weasel or ferret of some kind? I know it looks like one to me, but you spend more time around animals than I do…"

The topic of the discussion decided to speak up then, "…I'm more of a skunk, ringtail, or red panda, actually." Only one of those did Naruto recognize. "Not really, but close enough. As for the sign, I like it, so there." The decidedly female voice was a bit of a surprise, but the 'ashi-magari' in front of him wasn't the first animal, female or male, Naruto had heard speak so he shrugged it off and decided to introduce himself.

"I think the sign is cool! And you have some orange in your fur, which is awesome…" The other two humans in the room groaned at that, "- my name's Uzumaki Naruto, nice to meet you!"

With that, Sasuke decided to turn to his own summon, a rather well-built falcon going by the name "Shara". Anko kept her attention on both easily enough from her seat on the desk.

"…you're a bit loud, kid. But considering you're the one talking to me and not the other two, I suppose you're my summoner." The mustelid stretched a bit, and he had to wonder if her tail hadn't stretched and then shrunk, "Name's Sakanade. Been years since any of us 'leg-turners' have been summoned; what land are we in? Doesn't seem like Iron…"

"Land of Fire, Konohagakure, actually," Naruto prompted.

"Hm…now, you summoned me and hopefully read the scroll…" he nodded fervently, "So I can go ahead and skip that stuff. My family wasn't and isn't all that large - the lack of a summoner is a real 'kick to the pants' - but you still have to work for the right to summon us. You have four to five chances, fewer if you're downright rude."

The blonde boy scratched the back of his head, "Sounds fair, Sakanade. So, um…what's the first test?"

"Simple: catch me." Within seconds the 'leg-turner' was out of the room in a short, small twister.

"…aw, come on…"

"Better get going, Naruto-kun. Who knows what sort of havoc the ferret will cause?" Anko's grin told him all he needed to know.

xxxxxxx

"…you're mean, Sakanade." Hours later, with the sun setting and the night-lights of Konoha starting to turn on, he wheezed a bit.

Oh, he had caught her, but he really didn't want to talk or think about it - more than half of the time he had gotten miserably dizzy. She didn't even go farther than a dozen kilometers from the academy and only used one jutsu - "Tonbogaeri"- "round trip" indeed.

"Well, you caught me eventually, so don't get too down in the dumps, fishcake."

"Hey, that's not what my name actually means…"

"Calm down, kid, I'm just teasing. My name isn't exactly conventional either."

"…just make the dizzying stop…" the Uzumaki moaned.

"Eh, you'll get better. Also builds up some tolerance to nausea and dizziness in general."

The response she received from her summoner was a mix of mumbled curses and begrudged agreement, serving to only add to her amusement.

xxxxxxx

A.N.: And there you go, the first part or chapter of my first "official" Naruto fanfic.

Much thanks to my beta- and proofreader: chrnno and SageofEyes.

An "ashi-magari" or "leg-turner" is a more obscure youkai, and sometimes "only" a tanuki trick. I'm taking liberties and using my creative license here.

"Sakanade", sharing the name of Shinji Hirako's Zanpakutou, means "counter stroke" or "rubbing [you] the wrong way". Or something along those lines, at least.

"Tonbogaeri" is the Japanese name for the Pokémon move of "U-Turn", meaning "round trip" and a pun on "Tonbogiri", meaning "dragonfly cutting spear", a legendary weapon used by Honda Tadakatsu.


	2. Yield, Give Way

Chapter Two: Yield, Give Way

xxxxxxx

"I still can't make Bunshin, Iruka-sensei…" the dejected tone Naruto held would be disheartening to those who cared about him, even those who did so in their "own way. The majority of the class would have held in snide comments, knowing better than to do so within earshot of Iruka, let alone Naruto, though the latter mainly to avoid being a part of those pranked en masse.

"We're sorry, Naruto, but you have to make a minimum of three Bunshin to pass this exam." Iruka really was sorry, especially after the tutoring the blonde had received and the improvement, though not much, he had made in all subjects, besides genjutsu.

Looking at the pale, sickly attempts at Bunshin, Mizuka commented, "They were okay for a few seconds, Iruka, we could give him a second chance. He has done better…" The silver-haired man hated to say it, but it was true.

"Mizuki, you know we can't do that," Iruka cut the other chunin off shortly, trying to hold back his own thoughts on the matter, before turning his attention again to the thoroughly dejected blonde, "I'm sorry, Naruto, but you fail."

Naruto nodded, letting the shadows cover his eyes, "Yes, Iruka-sensei, Mizuki-sensei…" Iruka's heart went out to the boy, but he knew better than to let that rule his decision. Mizuki hid a wide, wicked smirk, his thoughts far darker.

xxxxxxx

He didn't look at his fellow classmates, those few that were still waiting to finish the graduation exam, as he walked past the doorway. His thoughts churned with aggravation and dejectedness.

'I tried so hard, and I got so far this time, but it still wasn't enough. Damn it, why can't they just require two out of the three ninjutsu? I can do Henge and Kawarimi…' he shuddered a bit in his emotional state, but loosened entirely upon exiting the building, where those who had passed were standing or sitting around, waiting on their families.

Sasuke stood talking a bit with Hinata, Shikamaru, and Shino, some of the other more notable clan scions not too far away, though it seemed Sakura and Ino were arguing with Ami. He noted a few of his friends looked over at him, but he turned away quickly, making a bee-line for the lone tree-swing.

Hinata's stance visibly changed, but the three boys she had been talking to shook their heads.

xxxxxxx

The light of the sun was waning in the horizon, and the Uzumaki youth sat atop his roof, melancholy. His mustelid-like summon, and new companion, sat on her haunches next to him.

"I failed the exam, 'nade," he mumbled, petting the summon out of what had become a habit. He felt numb.

She had only known him for eight or nine months, but knew him about as much as "the old man"; Naruto was a very open person to those who would listen and give him the time of day. This was something that would hurt him if not kept in check, Sakanade was sure of it.

"I am sorry, Naruto; I know how much it meant to you. You probably put in more effort than most of your peers combined…"

"Yeah…" he cut her off with a mumble. He really didn't feel like talking; this was an entirely different nausea than he knew from training with the leg-turner.

Seconds turned into minutes as the silence reigned, before the summon perked up at a sound, "Someone's coming; I'd better go." The blonde nodded in acknowledgement. "Before I do…please don't do anything drastic, Naruto. I don't want our summoner - and a fellow prankster - to be so depressed and down-trodden." With a plume of pure white smoke, she was gone.

Naruto sat up and crossed his legs, deciding to stare at the Hokage Monument, before footsteps sounded behind and to his left. "Ah, Naruto, I thought you might be out here," Mizuki's voice was unmistakable.

"Huh, Mizuki-sensei?" Naruto certainly wasn't expecting one of his instructors. Neither of them disliked him, as far as he knew, but they were quite busy the entire day. "Any reason you're coming by to say 'hi', sensei?"

The silver-haired man nodded as he crouched down beside the youth, "Yes, definitely, Naruto; I've got a question for you, is all."

With curiosity exceeding most juvenile felines, blue eyes turned to him, "Yeah, what is it, sensei?"

"How would you feel about taking a make-up exam for the jutsu portion of the exam, Naruto?" The expression that blossomed onto the blondes face was bright, 'Ah, it's enough to make me feel absolutely sick; don't worry Naruto, this will be a night to remember…'

xxxxxxx

The shout rang out through the trees, "The secret that's been hidden from you all these years, the thing that causes all of them to look at you with hatred, loathing, contempt, and ignore you as much as possible, Naruto: it's because you are the Kyuubi no Youko, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox that nearly destroyed Konoha twelve years ago! The Yondaime Hokage sacrificed himself to the Shinigami to seal you!" Iruka's shout for the traitor to stop died in his throat.

'No. No. No. I can't be it. I can't. It isn't true, it can't be true…' Naruto's mind didn't shut down, it worked in overdrive, fueled by anguish and terror. The only thing he could do, as far as he knew at that moment, was run. Flee. Keeping the scroll was secondary.

He probably ran around in circles, though, his mind entirely in disarray, because minutes later he found himself hiding behind a tree, holding onto the scroll like a lifeline, and heard the emotion-heavy discussion between Mizuki and Iruka.

"You'd even Henge into the demon brat!? What do you care, Iruka!? The Fox killed your parents, too! You have even more reason to hate it than I do! It would use the Scroll for anything, especially to get revenge!"

The pained answer told Naruto that Iruka had been attacked already, "You're right, Mizuki…I hated it, and still do…and yeah, that's just the sort of thing the Fox would do with the Scroll in hand." The blonde's anguish peaked, 'even Iruka-sensei…' until Iruka continued, "But Naruto isn't the Fox. You and I both know that, and he's more than just the container of it!"

The chunin wheezed, but continued on, loud and clear, "He's a proud member of Konoha, just as willing to die for it as I am! He's my student!" There was a brutal thud, and Naruto could only guess that Mizuki had kicked or punched Iruka to a tree.

'He believes in me! Iruka-sensei acknowledges me, even my faults-!' tears of joy flowed, but Naruto had to do something - the tears would have to wait. He had someone to protect. Within seconds he moved closer to the small clearing, full-force.

"You know, Iruka, I said I'd take care of you after the brat, but…" He un-slung one of the few remaining giant shuriken from his back and spinning it with ease, "I'll go ahead and take care of you right here, right now; if you care about the brat so much - meet him in the 'pure world'!" With a shout he dashed forward, weapon and arm outstretched.

A blurr, so obvious from the orange, collided with him, catching him in the side and gut, winding him and knocking him back a few yards. "If you touch Iruka-sensei, I'll kill you, Mizuki you traitor!" It came out as a growling shout, but the declaration was all he needed then and there.

"You…you brat!" Mizuki roared in anger, eyes wild, "Damn it, I thought for sure you'd keep away…" He started laughing, lowering the arm holding the giant shuriken, "But if it's going to be like that-!" He snapped off a scroll from his belt, "I won't give either of you the chance to survive! With this-!"

"You think I'll let you do what you want, Mizuki-teme!?" Naruto shouted, forming a half-Ram seal. "Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" Plumes of smoke erupted throughout the clearing and surrounding area, and Mizuki, even in his rage, was astonished.

"That-that's impossible-!" Iruka smirked, 'This is what you get, Mizuki, you practically handed him a scroll with the most dangerous jutsu known to the Land of Fire and told him to learn one…good job, Naruto…'

"You said you were going to kill us!?" The chorus shouted, "I'll give you that back a thousand times over!" Mizuki dropped the scroll he held and the mob descended on him.

xxxxxxx

"I think I overdid it, Iruka-sensei…" The heavily bruised and battered traitor lay on the ground, soundly unconscious, "I said I'd kill him, but half-way I knew it would be better to knock him out or capture him…"

Standing unsteadily Iruka chuckled dryly, "You…you did very well, Naruto. Guess you heard me, too, then?" The blonde nodded, emotions raw already, "I was like you, Naruto; I did all I could to get attention, whether it be pranks or acting out in class. Hokage-sama was the only one to get through to me, besides…besides Tsubaki and Mizuki."

"He-he was on your genin team, Iruka-sensei? I always guessed, but…and who's Tsubaki?"

"Yeah, we were a team; nothing special, but we got along well. Tsubaki was Mizuki's girlfriend and lover…this is going to break her heart. We thought he was being secretive the last few weeks because he was going to propose to her."

Naruto had no idea how to respond to that; Mizuki would throw that sort of love away?

"That's the past, now, I suppose. The only thing I can do is let Hokage-sama take care of this disaster and help Tsubaki work through it." Iruka's expression brightened, "But enough of that. Naruto, close your eyes for a second, alright?"

"Sure, Iruka-sensei. But why-?" He closed his eyes, but scrunched his face up in confusion, until he felt something being tied around his forehead.

"Alright, you can open your eyes now, Naruto." The cheerful voice Iruka used was almost alien to Naruto, and his shock grew as his guess was confirmed at Iruka's bare forehead. "Congratulations, Naruto; I hereby instate you as a genin, as a ninja, of Konoha!"

The joyful tackle he received and happy calling of his name was his reply, though pained. A static-like sound greeted both their ears, even as Iruka was going to offer the blonde ramen, and from it the Hokage and three ANBU operatives appeared.

"Hokage-sama!" "Old man!"

"Hello to you both, Iruka-kun, Naruto-kun," the elderly leader's expression was tight, but he did offer a genuine smile. Turning to the ANBU, he ordered, "Take Mizuki and his equipment to T&I, Tora. Tori, let the others know of the situation. Neko, with me." The two addressed to move did as told within seconds. "Iruka-kun, Naruto-kun, please follow me; I'll make sure we may all have ramen as we talk."

xxxxxxx

The cat-masked ANBU at his side, and Iruka having been dismissed for the rest of the meeting, the aged Sandaime sighed in weariness, "Naruto-kun, I am deeply sorry for having to keep this a secret from you. It was for your protection, but the isolation was, and likely will for a while yet, unbearable. The burden you carry is not one many can handle." He was wordier than he intended, but the situation called for him to explain as much as possible.

"I can't tell you your parent's names just yet, but I can tell you this much," Naruto remained quiet, his eyes full of emotion, but visibly restraining himself. "They sacrificed themselves not only to protect Konoha, their beloved home, but also, no, _especially_their son and legacy - you." He knew the young man in front of him had resolved to never cry of sadness again, but the fact he remained true to that even now - it pained him.

"They loved you. Never forget that. Never believe otherwise." His tone was as heartfelt as he allowed himself to be, and Naruto could only nod with only unshed tears. "As for the matter of your graduation…the circumstances cannot be changed; however, seeing as you were able to use Kage Bunshin, I can make an exception and affirm Iruka's decision."

He held up a hand to quiet the questions or outbursts of joy, "You are a genin of Konoha and of the Land of Fire, officially." A drag from his pipe, "The day is nearing an end, Naruto-kun, so I will only be able to take a few questions right now…"

"What was the term you used before, old man? 'Jinchuuriki'?" He stumbled in pronouncing it.

"It means 'power of human sacrifice', Naruto-kun, and is the name for those who bear the burden of carrying the Tailed Beast sealed within them; there are eight others like you."

"Do they…I mean, how are the others treated?"

"I'm afraid, Naruto-kun, that most of them have been far more isolated than you have been. Only Kumo's Jinchuuriki have been treated 'well', and even then only slightly better off than you have been. It is both a curse of loneliness and of power that you and they suffer."

The boy's expression softened in sadness, and at first he thought Naruto would mumble out an affirmative, "It isn't right, old man. We're human, but…" Determination spread across his features, "I'll become strong, not just to gain acknowledgement, but also to put an end to suffering like mine! The title of Hokage, before or after that - I will gain it!"

The hearty chuckle he received in turn was telling, "I'm sure you will, Naruto-kun." 'Minato, Kushina…you both would be so proud of your son. Rough he might be, but the Will of Fire is strong in him.'

xxxxxxx

Naruto was escorted home by the ANBU, Neko, with the order and 'first D-rank Mission' to rest and recuperate.

"Report, Tora."

"Mizuki has been interrogated by Ibiki, but there are some memories Inoichi can't quite get to. Orochimaru has been confirmed to be the source of Mizuki's goal to steal the Forbidden Scroll, Hokage-sama. And the scroll he was going to bring out contained a concoction meant to simulate the complete Cursed Seal."

A weary sigh, "I see. Dismissed, Tora." Static was his answer, "What would you suggest we do, Danzo? Homura, Koharu?"

The trio walked through one of the other doors, Koharu answering first, "We should have an ANBU keep track of Uzumaki. I do not doubt his loyalty to Konoha, but the Kyuubi is a different matter, and we know how emotional the boy can get."

The bandaged war-hawk commented, "Orochimaru is on the move, Sarutobi. This wasn't even the barest tip of the iceberg. My agents have found him holing up in bases all across the Five main Lands and some lesser ones."

"Then it is as we feared," Homura spoke, "We must be prepared. We have become too lax, Hiruzen; peace, outside of the attack twelve years ago and the kidnapping attempt by the rogue Kumo-nin, has made us vulnerable."

"Peace which I mean to uphold and continue," the Sandaime Hokage added, "This does not mean we will be weak. However, changes must be made…"

"What do you have in mind, Hiruzen? It isn't like you to think of the new generation as weapons to be molded, forged, and reinforced." Danzo chuckled bitterly, "That is more my area of expertise." The look he received made him blink, "You…"

Shaking his head, the leader of Konoha digressed, "I cannot say, my old rival." A puff of smoke, "…do you have an operative you are willing to part with that is capable of teaching?"

"A few, depending on what expertise you are aiming for."

Koharu and Homura looked between the two, wary.

"I have jounin instructors and teams already chosen, but changes can be made. Is the one known as 'Banto' still active?"

"Hiruzen, you can't be serious!?" Koharu half-asked, half-exclaimed, what the two were discussing was tantamount to paradoxical - their ideals and methodologies clashed heavily all the time.

"I am. Sasuke needs someone who can train him in Fire ninjutsu and who can curb his jealousy, short-sightedness and temper. 'Banto' is arguably the best user of such techniques, while Kakashi is assured to be able to train him in Lightning and the Sharingan."

Danzo began to catch on the moment Banto was mentioned, "You put quite a bit of focus on the Uchiha, but you have something in mind for the Uzumaki as well, don't you, Sarutobi?"

"I already have an ANBU in mind to keep watch of him, Danzo, but there are few teachers that suit the boy. Hana was good for him as a tutor, but as an actual jounin teacher and instructor, there aren't many that I can think of that would suit him the best. Kakashi's style doesn't quite suit him or the tactics he seems to be developing."

A scoff, "Uzumaki didn't use tactics on Mizuki. He needs training to control his emotions and keep in mind his 'little' traps and tricks. That summons of his at least opened his eyes to how useful those can be in the field, sabotage or combat." The one-eyed man drummed his fingers on his cane, "I only know of one ninja that might work…"

"You speak of Dawon of the Tiger Summons' Contract, I believe? She has been a guard for our daimyo and his family for six or seven years. Distantly related to the daimyo, as well…" He gave a look, "I did not realize she was one of yours, Danzo."

"She isn't, merely one of the few that I know who would be best to train young Uzumaki, if you are breaking the usual mold of three-man teams. Her tactics aren't quite the same, but her use of Summons and mixture of ninjutsu and taijutsu match." The bandaged man smirked, "Unless you decide to bring back your foolish toad, that is."

Ignoring the last comment, Sarutobi turned to his former team-mates, "Your thoughts on this matter?"

"I disagree with splitting up the three-man team system," Koharu bluntly stated.

Homura sighed, "I cannot disagree with the choice for jounin teacher and instructor for Uzumaki. I am uncertain about Banto, but with Danzo's recommendation and your acknowledgement, I digress." He paused, "What of the other teams? I share Koharu's doubt on that area."

"I have something in mind," stated the aged leader with a small, grim smile.

xxxxxxx

A.N.: Second chapter/part of "Tripping Over Tails"; hope you all enjoyed and will review if you have something to share or suggest.

Thanks again to chrnno for his beta- and proofreading advice and help.

"Dawon" is a legendary/mythological tigress of Tibetan and Hindu origin, and mount for the goddess Durga. In MegaTen, she is also known as "Gdon", I believe.

Dawon is the second OC for this fanfic, and I hope to make her as much a personality and character as the rest. She will _likely_ be Naruto's teacher for a good while.


	3. Green Light A

Chapter Three: Green Light A

xxxxxxx

The young Uzumaki regaled his 'personal summon' with what had happened the previous night and what he had learned, proudly wearing his headband he had gotten from Iruka. His turmoil, visible to those who could read his body language, was apparent: over Mizuki's betrayal, finding out he was the "seal" the Yondaime had used against the Kyuubi, and of still not being told about his mother, let alone his father.

He knew that his mother had had friends, or at least acquaintances, from the same generation of his peers' parents, and that he got his family name from her. He had asked the Inuzuka matriarch a little bit, making sure to not ask too much or assume she knew everything, and had found out his mother's name: Kushina. Did other orphans feel this way, finding out the name of one of their parents: the warmth and swell of pride? He didn't know either way.

The brash clan head kept quiet talking about his father, though, and didn't reveal much more on his mother. He didn't ask around, though; besides "old man Hokage" and Tsume, he didn't know anyone else that could know any answers.

He was still recovering from Mizuki's betrayal, too.

It wasn't that he had liked Mizuki as a teacher, but…he thought he was one of those he could gain respect and acknowledgment from, like Iruka.

Naruto sighed heavily.

"Are you even listening to me?" He found himself face to face with an annoyed Sakanade. 'Crap, I was lost in my thoughts too much there!'

Rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment, the blonde Uzumaki apologized, "Sorry, 'nade, just a lot on my mind…"

"Yes, I know, Naruto. But are you really going to let this get you so 'down'? I haven't known you as long as your teacher and only about the same as your tutor, but you're not acting the same as usual," the lady mustelid made an odd expression.

"Sorry; I hate being sad or depressed, but with this…how can I not be more effected than usual? It isn't the whole 'my life's been an entire lie' thing, either. I spent years wondering why people gave me…gave me those looks and isolated me," she didn't like the look of fear and one akin to trauma that passed through his eyes.

He continued, though, "I know you're right, that 'this' isn't me, and the old man and Iruka know that, too. But…what am I supposed to feel and how am I supposed to feel it? I'm not saying I don't know emotions in general, but…even if I didn't like Mizuki-teme before this, I wanted his acknowledgment. I wanted to prove him wrong, like the rest, you know?"

"Sometimes there are people who won't be convinced, Naruto. And you were betrayed, that isn't something easily accepted, let alone forgotten or forgiven." Her tail, near ethereal as it was, swished back and forth; Naruto could never tell if this was the "dog-like happy tail wag" or "cat-like 'Do what I want or I will scratch you to death'" motion.

"As for what I was saying before you decided to imitate the Uchiha boy, I was going to tell you about the rest of my family," she paused, "Well, at least those of age to be summoned for what you need or want."

Naruto felt like an ass, "Sorry, sorry, 'nade. I heard a bit of what you said, didn't mean to tune you out…"

"Good boy," she grinned, needle-like teeth shining, "Now, let me tell you about my family, the Ashi-Magari. I already told you we're a bit smaller than when we last had a summoner, and you read a bit of our history among the humans of the Land of Iron I believe. We all specialize in misdirection, a bit of sabotage, and distraction-making."

"Yeah, I read that much in the scroll, 'nade…"

She raised a clawed paw, letting it glint in the mid-morning sun, quieting him, "I'm one of about a dozen that are 'battle-ready'. My specialty is in wind…" She caught his gaze, prompting.

"The five basic elements are wind, lightning, earth, fire, and water, they have a 'weak to, strong to' chain, like with water beating fire and fire beating wind. Some clans have a unique kekkei genkai that lets them have extreme control over one of these elements, or a sub-element, like the Senju's Mokuton." Give the boy a ramen bowl, he remembered that part.

"Very good; right now, I'm the only one with a wind affinity. Some don't have an affinity for an element at all, but most have one in fire or lightning," she had his attention, mainly because she knew he was impatiently waiting to learn elemental jutsu, and affinities helped greatly.

"My family is run similar to some of the other summons' clans, but with the passage of time…we're lower on numbers than the more prominent ones, like the more famous Toads, now. At the moment, there's a bit of a resurgence of strength due having a summoner again," she grinned a bit as she let the blonde draw his own conclusions from that. His expressions were priceless.

"My uncle Kajunsa is the current leader, though my grandfather Oukan and grandmother Youhou are the 'working' advisors."

"Are your grandparents the oldest of your family, 'nade?"

"Yes, they are, Naruto; in fact, I'd say my grandfather will return to leadership for a while. My uncle was the decided successor to him: needs more field experience, but has a better grasp of recent events. Grandfather and grandmother know up to your Sandaime's early years as Hokage, but are taking time to readjust."

"So…should I summon others of your family to gather more information, 'nade? I know I have enough chakra to sustain at least two…"

"That was exactly what I was thinking, yes. Now, the one you want to summon is my cousin Hogoshoku; he's the currently appointed 'courier' right now, and arguably the best defensive fighter of us all, only surpassed by grandfather Oukan…"

xxxxxxx

"So his summons' are wanting to reconnect with the Land of Iron, Hokage-sama? Are you sure that that's wise?" questioned the still masked ANBU member, the porcelain marked like a cat's face in red and green.

"Mifune still retains his neutrality, to be sure, but summons are used as messengers quite often, and if Naruto is able to gain connections there, all the better; neutral allies are better than none."

"Agreed, Hokage-sama."

Seated unnervingly regally in front of the Third's desk, right next to the masked shinobi, Naruto's future teacher Dawon stared into the glass orb with a quirked eyebrow. Her dark green hair and yellow eyes were highly unusual outside of lands like Kusa, but her Konoha headband, hanging from her neck on a dark grey band, was obvious, standing out from her mostly forest-suited garb.

"I see you haven't changed in clothing choice, Dawon; mostly greens and browns, but a splash of orange, hm?"

"Better than what the kid's wearing right now, Sarutobi-sama. Kami know I'm going to get him a set of clothes more suitable for ninja," the tiger summoner commented, "Not that he'll mind; I'm not going to get rid of all the orange. It's my favorite color, too!"

"You know moderation on such things, something Naruto-kun lacks in a few areas," a short puff of smoke, "Now…I trust I don't need to inform you of Naruto-kun's status, Dowan? Or correct any misgivings or hatred therein?"

"I'm not a civilian, Sarutobi-sama, and I know seals well enough to know, cliché as this sounds, the difference between the scroll and the kunai. He's an Uzumaki, too, and I know who the first Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi was. I wasn't raised to be a fool."

"Good. You will be working in tandem with at least 'Yamato' here," gesturing to the ANBU, "to train Naruto-kun to the best of your abilities so that he can prosper as a ninja of Konoha. 'Yamato' will work with you, but you will be his main instructing jounin."

"I take that as permission to remove my mask, then, Hokage-sama?" With a nod, he did so. "Has there been a decision made on the three-man genin team situation? I understand that there will be some discontent."

"I have discussed it with my advisors, but have not yet told the clan heads or the instructors, which is as it should be. While some discontent may arise, I am certain that things will work out. If nothing else, I can modify the three-man system for this group and see how it turns out in their first chunin exam."

The two in front of him nodded, with Dawon speaking up, "So, who will Uzumaki end up on a team with if this doesn't work out?"

"We'll all see how things go before I make that decision, Dawon. He is one of two that are having special instruction like this, and I have made arrangements so that, if push comes to shove, both will have a team: the same or different ones will be decided then."

xxxxxxx

"Oi, Naruto, before the banshees start shrieking, how'd you pass?" Kiba questioned the blonde as the freshly minted genin began to file into the room at their own pace. All the children from prominent clans had gotten their headbands, "And what happened yesterday? Hana-nee said you got into trouble with Konohamaru's tutor."

"Eh, I was able to make up the Bunshin jutsu by learning another type of it; apparently my reserves are too much to make a regular one, even if I learned some of the most complicated, and boring, chakra control exercises." This was the cover story he was ordered to explain, Mizuki's betrayal would be aired out within the week, but no mention of Naruto's involvement would be given to civilians or his peers.

"As for Konohamaru…let's just say he was sick and tired of his sensei being a suck-up to the old man and wanted me to teach him a jutsu or two." He made sure to leave out that it was his Oiroke jutsu; the Inuzuka matriarch and her daughter would rip him a new one if they found out about that part of it.

"Hn. Sounds like the sort of tutor I'd hate to have." Sasuke commented.

"Eh, dad has me train with him or one of my uncles or cousins," Chouji spoke up, "Not really tutoring, though."

Timidly Hinata gave her own thoughts on the subject, "I-I have had some tutoring, but my tutor had to leave on a mission last year and hasn't been able to continue it with me."

Ami, one of the non-clan children who had graduated, pouted, "Darn, all of you getting some clan training by experienced ninja. The only sort of 'special training' I've got has been with Suzume-sensei when my taijutsu and weapons' scores were dipping low." The others from clans of lesser to no renown nodded a bit at that.

"Eh, don't worry about it, Ami; I barely scraped by on the written test. The dates were killer," Naruto voiced.

A few snickers broke out, but Ami shrugged, slumping over like Shikamaru, who was snoring next to Chouji.

The peace and chatter died when Ino and Sakura ran into the room and unleashed their own special brand of drama.

Minutes later, in which said drama was loud and painful to those with working ears, sensitive or not, led to Naruto nearly kissing Ami from another student's nudge, and Sasuke's scowl deepening from annoyance and the "banshees".

Iruka's arrival heralded an end to it within seconds, though not before Ami threatened the blonde in orange with no less than seven kidney punches if he did end up kissing her.

"Alright, all of you sit down and shut up," a few noticed the bandages under his vest, "Shikamaru, wake up or I will send you to your mother!" The lazy genius groaned in annoyance, but did as told.

The chunin instructor coughed, "Now that I see all graduates are here and paying attention; I would like to formally and informally congratulate all of you for passing the genin exam. It has been an honor to teach all of you, and I wish you luck in any and all fields you pursue to serve your Hokage, your village and homeland, and comrades."

"I compiled all of your records from the Academy and all additional notes and handed them in to the Hokage and his advisors. Copies are being handed out to your jounin instructors as I speak. Teams were hand-picked by the Hokage himself with this information in mind. No matter if you are from a clan, "greater" or "lesser", or a civilian family or orphan, he and I have made sure to keep your best interests in mind in these decisions."

He made sure to catch their eyes with these words; they were important to him, now more than ever, "Moving on to the teams…"

xxxxxxx

"So you're Dawon of the tiger summons? I had heard you arrived yesterday to be one of the instructors, but not much else," Yuhi Kurenai smiled politely, "Nice to meet you."

"The same to you, Yuhi-san," a pause, "Weren't you tutoring the Kurama girl? Sarutobi-sama mentioned it when he debriefed me."

The black-haired woman nodded, turning away, "Yes, I was, but Hokage-sama decided to pull me off of that position when the girl's health took a dive; right now it's better than she receive help from the medics and Yamanaka specialists."

"Eh, don't worry about it, 'nai-chan. Yakumo was a really nice girl; a bit overly polite, though." Anko snacked on her dango as the assorted jounin instructors watched the team selections. Kurenai twitched a bit at that comment, but let it go.

"The big surprise is Kakashi-senpai arriving early for this," commented Yamato. The others knew him in passing as a junior ANBU to the chronically late scarecrow, but he and Anko seemed to act like old companions, despite his stoicism.

"…Hokage-sama has his methods," pouted the man in question.

"Are they going to hurry up on calling names?" A tall, orange-haired man leaning against the wall of the room spoke up, "The sooner I get to teaching, the sooner I can get back to missions."

Asuma rubbed his temples, "Patience is a virtue, Banto; I would have thought Shimura-san would have that drilled into your head by now."

"I'm not like the others, Sarutobi; that much should be obvious," he waved his amputated, copper-covered forearm, "Not asking it out of impatience. Just a bit bored; I got called back from a good mission on the border with Earth. I even got to gamble a bit with some of Iwa's Explosion Corps members." His grin reminded them of Ibiki on an average day in T&I.

"…I'm sure I don't want to know, but at least the Earth-Fire border is doing well. Water seems to be the only one of the Five that we are having issues with right now." Kakashi noted, "The other lands have had some bandits and missing-nin run around a bit too much, though."

"Mist is still dealing with the fall-out from the abandonment of the Seven Swordsmen; last I heard only two or three are still active as Kiri-nin. We can't get any more information, but it does look like the civil war is continuing, even after the assassination attempt on the Mizukage and his unexplained disappearance. The animosity and distrust against kekkei genkai still lingers throughout the entire Land of Water," Aoba added.

"I've heard rumors and rumors of rumors that we would be allying with the rebel faction if it broke out into a Fourth Shinobi War," voiced Raidou, adding "I ran a mission to the Land of Tea last month," to explain himself. That got him a look from Anko.

xxxxxx

"Team Seven will be: Haruno Sakura," she perked up, "Hibachi," she slumped in her seat with a mutter and the bandana-wearing boy groaned ,"and Unagi," the two boys shared a fist-bump, "; your instructor will be Gekkou Hayate."

"Team Eight will be: Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, and Hyuuga Hinata; your instructor will be Yuhi Kurenai. Team Nine is still on the roster, as was Team One, so Team Ten will be: Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino, and Akimichi Chouji," the two boys looked over at their pale-blonde friend in an almost long-suffering way, "; your instructor will be Sarutobi Asuma." The Nara heir had a contemplative look at that name-drop.

Two more teams were called, before the only ones not on a team were Sasuke and Naruto, and everyone had their thoughts on this. "Due to the odd number of graduates, and Hokage-sama's choice on this matter, Uchiha Sasuke will be instructed by Banto," no one recognized the name, "and," now the class was attentive, "Hatake Kakashi."

Iruka continued without letting any of them speak up, "Uzumaki Naruto will be instructed by Dawon," another name that none of them recognized, "and Yamato." Having two unknown instructors, and only a single name for each, the blonde gave had a confused and excited expression cycling.

"Wait, why do they get two jounin instructors, Iruka-sensei?" Ami piped up. "I know Sasuke-kun," thank kami the girl was the least annoying fan-girl, "and Naruto did really well with their tutors, but why this?"

"If I knew, Ami, I don't know if I could tell you; as it is, this is Hokage-sama's decision." Discontent sparked a bit among the gathered genin, "However, I can say this: there is the chance you all will be working with them on missions, and the second instructor is short-term for both of them."

He clapped with an odd smile, "Now, this is your first unofficial mission, and an order from a superior officer: gather together in your teams and wait on your instructors." He turned to look between Naruto and Sasuke, "For you two…Naruto, be prepared for a shopping trip. Sasuke, try to not mouth off to either of your instructors."

With a grin that only Naruto had seen him use before, and which the class thought was too much like one of the blonde's, he gave a short salute at the doorway - they hadn't even seen him move - "Bye now."

Awkward silence reigned before the members of Team Eight moved to be seated next to each other, which started the domino effect of the others following suite.

xxxxxxx

"Well that was anti-climatic," whined Anko.

"There wasn't any blood, of course you would find it boring, Anko," Kurenai resisted the urge to face-palm.

xxxxxxx

A.N.: I'm sort of "just" "going with the flow" on this chapter. Wasn't planning on cutting off here, but I want to keep chapters to a consistent length: both for you all, the readers, and for myself.

Thanks to chrnno again for beta- and proofreading. Hope you all enjoy; leave a review if you'd like, I certainly appreciate them.

A few name definitions...

"Oukan" - traffic, coming and going; crown, diadem; bottle cap; the last translation made me laugh, and pretty much cemented my choice on it.

"Youhou" - directions, rules of use; "Kajunsa" - trouble or troubled police, and "Hogoshoku" - protective coloring.


	4. Green Light B

Chapter Four: Green Light B

xxxxxxx

Trios of genin filed out after a jounin walked through the door and announced their name. A bit surprising to Naruto, he was one of the first half of the group to leave with an instructor. The mostly stoic brown-haired man, garbed in what seemed to be the standard jounin uniform mix-and-matched with ANBU gear, had introduced himself as Yamato and motioned for him to follow.

He did, though a bit off-put by the man's expression, making sure to give a "see you soon" wave to those still waiting. He got a half-hearted glare from Sasuke and a nod from a few others, before he refocused on walking behind one of his two instructors.

He tried starting up a conversation, "So, Yamato-sensei, where are we going?"

"Training grounds," was the toneless reply.

"Which one?" Naruto knew that there were a little over forty different training grounds inside the walls of Konoha. He had a theory that they were numbered from least to most dangerous.

"Twenty-eight."

'This is already sucking. I just hope Dawon-sensei isn't such a stick in the mud,' the blonde grumbled to himself.

xxxxxxx

The first thing that came to mind to Naruto about Training Ground Number Twenty-Eight was an evil haystack. This would sound silly to most ninja, but it was the closest thing he could compare it to. Well, that or a huge briar. It was surrounded by a clearing of grass, with a few boulders around. The freaky jungle of spiny and thorn-riddled greenery was only the first thing he noticed.

Then he caught sight of fully grown tigers napping around one of the boulders and a woman with dark green hair, wild in places and combed in others, wearing an outfit that Naruto though made her look both awesome and rather sexy. '…Ayame-nee will never leave me alone if I start crushing on a teacher. Never. Focus Uzumaki, don't think about how her outfit is stylish, orange, dynamic, and…' He shook his head to clear and followed the other jounin towards the group of human and tigers.

"Yo, Yamato-san, Uzumaki-san," she waved, and for a second Naruto was sure that the tigers were sizing him up as a snack, toy, or servant. He would put his money on the last one, knowing a few cats and how they acted. "Don't worry, they won't hurt you; they know better."

"I'm more afraid of them deciding to take a nap on my chest, Dawon-san," was Yamato's comment on that. He knew very well that tiger's were near the epitome of strength for large cats; he had also had a few bad experiences with a cheetah summon from the Land of Lightning using one of his Mokuton Bunshin as a scratching post. The memory feedback was traumatizing enough.

Naruto wasn't sure what to say for an introduction, let alone about the good dozen, healthy, and muscled tigers around. He got spooked enough when Sakanade was heavily annoyed with him and when she lived up to her threats of clawing him up. He healed, but it hurt for hours after, too.

"Calm down, Uzumaki. I already said it, didn't I? They know better," he was close enough now that he could see that she had yellow eyes. Not a sickly or vile shade, but more a haunting and alluring one. "As you've already guessed, process of elimination at work, or been told, my name is Dawon. As for the tigers around me," she patted one on the head and it nuzzled her hand with an audible purr, "This beauty right here is Kinshima; at first glance she doesn't look any different than the others, but look closer."

The blonde Uzumaki did so, and was a bit surprised to find that the large felines stripes were faded and the fur on the legs faded to white, "Eh?"

"I'm a 'golden' tiger, kid," Naruto's eyes widened in a bit of shock as the summons spoke; he wasn't sure if these tigers would or not, but the suddenness of it definitely spooked him. It certainly didn't help that it was coming from a uniquely furred tiger that looked like it, no, she - better he used the right pronoun early rather than too late - could cave in his skull or rib-cage with a decisive paw strike.

"Dawon is the summoner for the entire streak, or ambush; these lazy cubs? They listen to me or Dawon or they have to fight old man Byakko, and it isn't just because I'm the heiress."

"Can we move on, Dawon-san, Kinshima-san?" Yamato questioned, "We just have to do introductions today, after all."

"Right," Dawon nodded, yawning, but turning her attention back to the new genin, "Going to follow the example of my sensei. My name is Dawon, I like yakitori, okonomiyaki, cats in general, orange and oranges, and a good warm nap. I dislike vultures, both the bird and people like them, loud noises, annoying dogs, and fools or idiots."

She paused a bit before finishing, "I focus on earth and fire ninjutsu, Tiger-style taijutsu, and my tiger summons and companions. I also know how use a wide variety of traps. My dream or goal right now is to surpass the 'average' expectations for Special Jounin and make it to full Jounin." She smirked, "Well, that and getting you on your own feet as a shinobi of Konoha, Uzumaki-san."

She turned to the stoic Yamato, "Your turn."

"My name is Yamato, I like walnuts and architecture, and dislike all oily foods and tardiness. I specialize in a unique ninjutsu, but also excel in taijutsu and stealth. My secondary goal is the same as Dawon-san's, while my primary one is to make peace with someone." His finished with a look at Naruto, who paled a bit at the spooky expression the man put on. He was paying attention to these things, dang it!

He was happy to oblige them both. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto! I like ramen, old man Hokage, Iruka-sensei, Teuchi-ojisan and Ayame-nee, 'nade, the color orange, pranks, and fruit-bearing plants. I dislike waiting, arrogant people, traitors, bullies, vegetables outside of ramen, and…" he worked to remember the word, "ostracism - people ignoring someone's existence. My dream is to become Hokage to gain acknowledgment and respect, but also to surpass those before me!"

His enthusiasm was certainly there and almost painfully obvious.

He received a whack to the face for his troubles. "Not so loud, kid. We're right here, and as ninja we need to be stealthy and quiet. Noise is a big 'no' in most cases." He massaged his forehead; even with his headband on the swat from Dawon had hurt.

"Now, tomorrow is the real test to see if you're ready to be a genin." Naruto's bewildered look was entirely pitiful. "It's a survival exercise, so come prepared with whatever gear you need or want for that sort of thing," Yamato added.

"Now, before you head home to gather your things to be prepared," the green-haired woman stood in front of him, "we're going to do something about your outfit, Naruto."

"Eh!? But I like this jumpsuit! It isn't that small or large on me, and…"

He was quieted with a look in the yellow eyes, not a threat but a warning. "Naruto-kun," her tone made him shiver, "I like orange, too, but as a ninja, wearing nearly all orange isn't practical. You could get your team-mates or yourself killed by being a walking beacon. Your stealth after your pranks is one thing, but in the rest of the Land of Fire, in the rest of the world? It won't cut it, kid; at least if you're not strong enough."

He dejectedly nodded, still grumbling, and Yamato announced, "I'll leave that to you, Dawon-san; I have a few things to check on and prepare before tomorrow. Good day to you, too, Naruto."

A paused, "…he ditched me didn't he?" Naruto complained.

"No, I'd say he's honestly got things to work on, fishcake. Free lesson for you: preparation is key for any ninja or samurai. It's what differentiates us from rogues, ronin, and bandits, the difference between us and samurai?" She prompted.

"They're more noble and fight mainly with swords and can't use ninjutsu?"

"Close but not quite; I'll tell you on the way to get new clothes." he grumbled again but followed, the tigers being left behind, "Kinshima, follow. Fishcake here needs to get used to seeing you around." The color in the boy's face drained when the golden tigress grinned.

xxxxxxx

Sasuke was doing more grumbling than Naruto, for certain. The orange-haired man and the silver-haired one next to him were the kinds of personalities he could deal with, but the lateness was an extreme annoyance. "Do you both intend to make me wait every single day or what?"

Banto laughed, "Nope, not me, Uchiha; Hatake, though, is famous for being late to everything and anything, besides missions and new releases of Icha Icha, by an hour to three hours." The glower Sasuke held then would have burnt through Kakashi's vest had it held any fire affinity.

"…I would've preferred Mitarashi, then. She at least is on time."

Getting compared to Anko was a bit annoying. "…you both are terribly rude, you know?" The scarecrow responded, "And I wasn't even all that late today, just an hour had gone by."

"Whatever; I'll be at the training ground tomorrow; if both of you are late I'll just train by myself or go see how some of the other teams are doing. Hopefully some of them will at least learn something useful."

Banto laughed a bit more, "Hey, hey, don't worry kid; I'll be on time, even if Hatake doesn't show up, I'll start the test anyway."

"Good. At least one of you has their priorities straight." The Uchiha left without further commentary.

"Getting compared to Anko and Banto, negatively of all things…so excitable, did something good happen?" Let it not be said Kakashi ignores everyone's opinions of him.

xxxxxxx

Silhouettes filled the cavern, and the dripping of liquid off of stalactites could be clearly heard. The strange statue within gazed blindly as the eight figures discussed their plans.

"Orochimaru has begun some of his moves, it would seem. At least three bases in each nation, and the central(maybe central one or just one) in Rice," the bulky figure of Sasori ground out, "There are signs of 'Sky' plotting with him, too; even a false tailed-beast…" his gaze fell on Kisame's shadow, "can be detrimental to our plans."

"Agreed, Sasori; however, my thought is this: why not allow the attack? Even if it is only a hairline fracture, trees with weak points can be toppled with more ease. It would also allow us to gain a foothold if we placed our spies carefully and accordingly,"

"Two of the Tailed Beasts in one area, alongside the false one. I do not like the odds. Orochimaru has been a pain in our side since his betrayal, but letting him gain that much power would be thoroughly foolish, no matter the 'gain'," the puppet-master stated clearly.

Finally, the Leader shared his own thoughts and orders, "Sasori, Deidara, you are to move out to destroy 'Sky' and capture the false Jinchuuriki Amaru. We will seal it separately of the Nine. Itachi, Kisame, you are to keep watch of Fire and Water; should opportunities arise for taking control of Mist or any large part of Water, we will send Zetsu in." The four nodded and left.

"Kakuzu, Tobi will be accompanying you to the Hot Spring Village; your new partner has been decided upon."

A giggle sounded, "Tobi will be sure to do really, really well for Kakuzu-senpai; don't worry!"

"Just don't get in my way."

"Zetsu, you know what to do."

"Yes. **Right**." echoed the arguably oddest member of Akatsuki. Kakuzu and Zetsu shimmered out like the others, leaving Konan, Pain, and Tobi.

"So the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki will be training under Dawon of the Tigers? That is unexpected, but makes it easier for us," Konan's comment was quieted and demure.

"Not necessarily; her relation to the daimyo of Fire may present a problem if we do not take care. She is arguably on equal footing with my Animal Path, too, at least when summoning her 'Boss'."

"When the time comes, Kisame is the best bet to defeat her efficiently," Tobi advised, all foolishness gone. "The real matters of concern are Orochimaru and the Land of Lightning. Lightning has been extending alliances with the minor countries, especially Waterfall."

"Their goal is obviously the Nanabi Jinchuuriki. Orochimaru's hold on the minor countries is weak compared to Kumo, but he has his numbers; if things turn for the worst a war will break out and we will not hold the pieces needed," Pain conjectured.

"Correct. The best actions we can take right now are crippling Orochimaru's budding alliances, and making certain that the Nanabi does not gain the support Kumo offers. Should more Jinchuuriki gain training...I do not believe I need to explain the consequences."

The cavern fell silent once more.

xxxxxxx

"Good Benzaiten, Naruto, you actually look like a ninja!" Ten-ten exclaimed. While being an orphan from the last great war, the weapons' master in training had gotten work in one of Konoha's ninja supplying stores, specifically "Takeda". She and Naruto had known each other in passing for two years, but neither could really call each other "a friend". That didn't mean that they didn't treat each other kindly.

Her exclamation was prompted by the change in attire that Dawon had demanded of him, which outfitted him in shinobi gear more like her own, a single sleeve of bright orange against the dark grey. The spiral that he had on the same sleeve was a familiar and comforting touch.

"Gee, thanks, Ten-ten," he half-heartedly bit out; he liked his orange jumpsuit, 'Why does everyone hate on the orange jumpsuit? I've worn one since the second year of the academy.'

"Hey, I'm not ridiculing your gear, Naruto. Dawon-san made a good choice," she tapped her chin, "Though I'm still surprised she didn't get you any blades besides kunai and shuriken…"

Said tiger summoner walked out from behind a shelf, "because I don't really have a use for them, Ten-ten-san." In her arms were scrolls with a circle marked with an "x" emblazoned on one side, "now _these _babies are what I'll stock up on, a few for fishcake, too."

"…I don't know whether to praise you or hide in terror for letting ramen-head here have those sorts of scrolls, Dawon-san." Naruto quirked an eyebrow at that before she told him, "Trap scrolls, E to C rank; good for all ranks, but not used very often."

The shine in the young boy's eyes was very bright, and the grin wide.

"Though I do have some of my own make that I might start a patent on…" the woman contemplated, "I'm also getting some of the usual higher-rank ones; those are for me specifically, though, fishcake." He pouted miserably while Ten-ten laughed.

xxxxxxx

"I think I'm in love," was not the sort of statement people expected to hear from Uchiha Sasuke, especially not from a seat across from Mitarashi Anko at a restaurant.

"So…let me make a few guesses: would this love be directed towards: Hana, 'nai-chan, the Kurama heiress, the glorious me," he gave her an incredulous look, "or someone else?"

He stared at his cup, "Nothing against Yuuhi-san, she's beautiful, skilled, smart, and grounded, but she's not my type; a little too strict and already in love with someone else."

"Good boy; that won't stop me from letting her know you do find her attractive. I'll let you off the hook for not saying anything about me, as I know you obviously adore me with the passion of the sun itself."

"I would expect you to be a very poor imposter if you didn't."

"So…going to tell me or do I need to start a scene with snakes?" Sasuke knew she wouldn't do that, at least not at one of her favorite restaurants. If it were one of the bars she went to, that threat would've held more than just water.

"Kurama Yakumo," he knew better than to make Anko wait on an answer. It only led to humiliating pain and trauma. He had suffered worse, but he certainly didn't want to find out how well the unbalanced woman could do in her area of expertise - at least not with first-hand experience.

"Hm, well now, that's a bit unexpected. I didn't realize you knew her or had talked to her…" she made a face, "you have spoken to her, right?"

"Yes, I really have; a bit shy, but not as bad as Hinata-san, and really smart, and very skilled in her family's genjutsu. She has a biting wit and a temper, which apparently I 'feed fire to' if her uncle has anything to say about it."

The snake summoner tilted her head, "You do know about her…issues, right? Not going to go into detail if you don't, 'nai-chan would have my head if I did."

"I know my fair share about insanity, Anko, as do you. Yakumo has that 'Id' issue, I know very well," he smirked a bit, "It told me I unnerved it, after I shrugged off an illusion of my legs vanishing. Have to say, that hurt like hell, but the expression on its face…"

"…'nai-chan must hate you, Sasuke."

"I'll have you know that her Id doesn't like showing up when I'm around. If I didn't know any better I'd say it's shyer than Hinata and entirely tsundere." His smirk was quite fierce.

"…I don't know whether to congratulate you for wooing the girl and her mental demon, or lock you up in a prison cell for conspiring against Konoha by talking to it."

"Yakumo isn't in the dark about things, and her parents are recovering. Hokage-sama had a seal master ready in case things went from bad to worse, and I've helped in some ways…"

"…kid, if you two don't start going at it like rabbits within the next year, I'll be beyond surprised."

"If any children are born, you're their godmother." The people of Konoha would have heart-attacks if they were to hear this conversation, for more reasons than one.

"…do I need to bring out the love letters you wrote in therapy that were addressed to the Third Tsuchikage's granddaughter or let Naruto spread it around? I will, you know, and if she comes near Konoha you can bet that I'll arrange something embarrassing for you, your girlfriend, and the lava-spitter."

"Your words wound me, Anko, right here," he held a hand over his left kidney.

"So you still have that crush? Awww, wait 'til I tell 'nai-chan her disciple's dating a two-timing playboy."

"…sometimes your threats actually scare me, Anko."

"I try, Sasuke-chan, I try," the lilt in her voice betrayed her. "Though, let me bring up a different subject, how was meeting Hatake and Banto?"

"…you killed the mood."

"Didn't like either of them, I take it? Eh, Kakashi's a piece of work, but he's really skilled, don't know about as a teacher but there is a reason why he's famous. Banto I don't know…"

"If Kakashi is late like he was every single day? I'll make it my duty to burn his porn stash or have Yakumo cast a genjutsu that makes it look like they're burning," he glowered, but his features shifted to a more neutral expression, "Banto at least has some liveliness, though from what I read up on him I'll have to do more dodging than I had to with you."

"…should I take that as a challenge, Sasuke-chan?"

"No, you shouldn't."

xxxxxxx

"Mifune-sama, there is a…summon here to see you," the effective secretary to the samurai leader informed him. "It introduced itself as 'Hogoshoku', a child of 'Oukan'," the uncertainty in the names clear, the man bowed out.

"Oukan, hm," the leader of the Land of Iron and revered samurai reminisced, "that is a name I haven't heard in years…so very many years. What can I do for a messenger of the ashi-magari, Hogoshoku-san?"

The stout, more badger-like, leg-turner was a mix of white and black like Sakanade, but had large spots of red, yellow, and orange. "Oukan-sama wanted to reconnect to our first summoner's homeland, Mifune-sama. Though our new summoner is young and inexperienced, he knows connections are important."

"I am willing to listen to Oukan's proposal, but I will not break my country's neutrality." The proposal and response didn't last very long, but the goal Oukan had in mind would be done.

xxxxxxx

Kinuta Dosu was an exceptional genin of the center Otogakure. Among those at his rank, he had showed the most promise, the most strategic planning and levelheadedness, and the most dedication to his team and the mission. His personality was cold and calculating, harsh enough to get others to listen, and at the end of the day, despite how much he was annoyed with or outright hated his companions, he made sure they got back alive.

It wasn't so much that he hated people, but he had been betrayed far too often to care about anyone that wasn't stronger than him. His "Melody Arm" was his greatest tool and to many it seemed the only thing keeping him from being a regular genin with just enough brains to survive.

Orochimaru knew better, and that was why the hunched youth was standing at the ready before him, looking very much like a fearful porcupine in his choice of clothing. "Do you know why I have called you, Dosu?"

"No, Orochimaru-sama, I do not."

"Do you have any guesses?"

"Several, Orochimaru-sama, most of them ending with me needing more bandages," his honest reply was sadly not his own doing, but from Orochimaru's own killing intent, diluted and acting as a pseudo-genjutsu. The flinch was quite amusing to the snake Sannin.

"Your fear does you well, Dosu; only a fool would stand before me without some sense of wariness. But no, I have not called you for punishment, and I can promise you that you will be walking out of here with fewer bandages…" The only warning the hunched youth had was a grotesque, squelching twist echoing through the chamber and a monstrous shadow looming over him.

The last things he saw were yellow eyes, and then a void.

Once the twisting shadow and the sounds of pain settled down, Yakushi Kabuto stepped out from the adjacent room, carefully, and moved to assist the figure wearing in Dosu's clothes.

The voice of Orochimaru was youthful and less rasping than it had been moments before. "Kabuto, make a note: Kinuta Dosu died an exceptional shinobi of the Sound; set the date for," he paused adjusting the Melody Arm, "next summer; I believe he once said summer was his favorite month."

"That is exceptionally kind, Orochimaru-sama."

"I try to have at least one act of mercy or kindness a month, Kabuto-kun. It raises morale." Orochimaru ran a hand through his now spiky hair, before checking the mirror Kabuto held, "Hm, this will do very well." He snickered a bit.

With a curt bow, the medic questioned, "Orochimaru-sama, shall I send for Guren?"

"Yes, do that, Kabuto," tapping his chin in thought he added, "Also, send for the two I selected to be on Dosu's team. I need to make sure those two _specifically_ _understand _the plan and what our team will be doing until the Chunin Exams in Konoha."

xxxxxxx

A.N.: Next chapter will be the real "start" to the action. Though I suppose there was some rather nice beginning action here, too. Hope you all enjoyed this update. Thanks again to chrnno for beta-/proofreading on this, too.

"Kinshima" - golden stripe


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